mounts and PS lines
#1
mounts and PS lines
Hey everyone, I just got my inspection done last week, and after having spent over $1000 this summer to fix stuff, I have to now replace my front motor mount, a transmission mount and my high and low pressure Power steering lines. How difficult are these to do? and can anyone help me out with scans from the factory service manual or anything of that nature? I'll be starting it thursday night and need to get it all done by Friday evening. I'll do a search later this evening, but I dont have the time right now. If any of you want to do the search for me that would be awesome Thanks guys.
Greg
Greg
#2
The mounts should actually be a piece of cake, albeit a tad expensive...i just finished replacing both mounts, my oil pan gasket, amd my ENTIRE power steering assembly...rebuilt the pump, replaced all the rubber lines, and installed a rebuilt rack...
the pressure line is easy enough...but it's going to depend upon with low-pressure / return lines are leaking, as to the amount of work involved there...the original rack has a TON of small, low-pressure lines, feeding fluid all of the rack...it looks like a damn rats nest...and anyone of them could be leaking...if it's simply one of the lines under the hood, opposite of the battery, or the line that connects those hard lines back to the res., then you've got it made...it it's on the rack...you've got you work cut out for you...and pray you, or an assistant, have VERY small, dextrous hands...i don't...and my hands STILL have scratches and bruises from trying to reach where I needed to get for mine...
Good luck, and if you need any assistance, let me know...
the pressure line is easy enough...but it's going to depend upon with low-pressure / return lines are leaking, as to the amount of work involved there...the original rack has a TON of small, low-pressure lines, feeding fluid all of the rack...it looks like a damn rats nest...and anyone of them could be leaking...if it's simply one of the lines under the hood, opposite of the battery, or the line that connects those hard lines back to the res., then you've got it made...it it's on the rack...you've got you work cut out for you...and pray you, or an assistant, have VERY small, dextrous hands...i don't...and my hands STILL have scratches and bruises from trying to reach where I needed to get for mine...
Good luck, and if you need any assistance, let me know...
#3
Unfortunately, I, nor anyone in my family, don't have small dextrous hands, but I'm quite used to getting them all scratched the heck. Its times like these that I wish we were millionaires and could have a lift installed in the garage or something, but alas, we aren't. The lines are leaking "all to heck" or something like that, according to the master tech @ Harrisonburg Nissan, so its pretty messy in there. The mounts for the rack itself are pretty messed up b/c of fluid leaks and the like causing them to deteriorate, but I'll put that off until another time I guess. The bill for the parts came to $450+, and doing the work myself wont save me any time, but it will save me ~$550 in labor. I'll keep you posted when I get it started Thursday night (I hope the mosquitos are done being alive and bothersome in Va Beach).
Greg
Greg
#4
argh
ok.. so I go to do the work on my car, and I've only got 1 power steering line (high pressure I believe: long, straight, insulated) and 2 mounts
Is it just me or are these both engine mounts? I needed the front engine mount and a transmission mount. I look in my Haynes manual and the one on the right is for 'manual transaxle models' and the left one is for 'automatic transaxle models'
Also, my invoice indicates 2 "insul mount"s and one "MBR eng mn" I wasnt here to make the order, so I think that there was a bit of a problem in the communication of the parts I needed. Thanks for the help. Also, what exactly does the transmission mount look like?
Greg
Is it just me or are these both engine mounts? I needed the front engine mount and a transmission mount. I look in my Haynes manual and the one on the right is for 'manual transaxle models' and the left one is for 'automatic transaxle models'
Also, my invoice indicates 2 "insul mount"s and one "MBR eng mn" I wasnt here to make the order, so I think that there was a bit of a problem in the communication of the parts I needed. Thanks for the help. Also, what exactly does the transmission mount look like?
Greg
#5
screw it..
well, I got the bolts that mount the front engine mount to the cross beam (bar?) out, but the bolts inside the mount itself are in there really friggin tight (called my mechanic, and he said there's a lock washer in there) and I've got very little leverage, the air wrench isn't cutting it, the air gun is too big, and my wrenches are just showing signs of their amazing ability to turn hex bolts into pretty circles, so I'm giving up. I have a 7pm deadline to get the work done (3pm now), and there's just no way I can get it done without either taking most of the engine apart to get at the bolts that hold the engine side of the mount to remove the whole thing, or rounding all the bolts and REALLY screwing myself.
I'll just have to baby her until I have the money to pay a mechanic to do the work. At least I have the parts (both motor mounts, and a transmission mount), so I'll save on that. Might try to do the PS lines tomorrow, but I'll be extremely limited in available tools (brothers are taking them all up state to go help a guy put in a motor or something this weekend), so if anyone has any advice on replacing high and low pressure ps lines, please drop me a line tonight. Thanks.
At least the weekend wont be a total loss, I have to change my oil & filter and replace my exhaust gasket.. so at least its already up on the ramps. Sorry for whining, my car's just costing a heck of a lot of money this year
Greg
I'll just have to baby her until I have the money to pay a mechanic to do the work. At least I have the parts (both motor mounts, and a transmission mount), so I'll save on that. Might try to do the PS lines tomorrow, but I'll be extremely limited in available tools (brothers are taking them all up state to go help a guy put in a motor or something this weekend), so if anyone has any advice on replacing high and low pressure ps lines, please drop me a line tonight. Thanks.
At least the weekend wont be a total loss, I have to change my oil & filter and replace my exhaust gasket.. so at least its already up on the ramps. Sorry for whining, my car's just costing a heck of a lot of money this year
Greg
#6
The pressure line for the PS is easy...it's two pass-thru bolts, four gopper crush washers. Both are accessable from below car, with plenty of room. There is a kind of shild over the pressure line end on the rack side, so you'll need to remove that first.
The low pressure lines are a snakes nest, and a ***** to work on...good luck with those...
As for the mounts, it depends upon which trans mount you need, again...write back, and I'll see if I can find a pic of it. My car's an auto, so it's a little diferent...
The upper bolts on the front mount are a pain for 5-sp or auto...they just require patience...i had to remove the entire bracket from the engine to get the mount out of mine...
The low pressure lines are a snakes nest, and a ***** to work on...good luck with those...
As for the mounts, it depends upon which trans mount you need, again...write back, and I'll see if I can find a pic of it. My car's an auto, so it's a little diferent...
The upper bolts on the front mount are a pain for 5-sp or auto...they just require patience...i had to remove the entire bracket from the engine to get the mount out of mine...
#7
Yeah, I figured out that the pictures in my Haynes manual were to illustrate the 2 different front mounts. In the picture above is the rear mount and front mount respectively. I dont have the time and patience to remove the whole thing this weekend. I'll just save it for another time. If the other ps line comes in tomorrow (had to special order it overnight, and its still not guaranteed in by tomorrow) then I'll probably try to do them. If not, then I'll just pay someone to do it (tho its really expensive)
Thx for the heads up MaxWgn
Greg
Thx for the heads up MaxWgn
Greg
#8
did it after all
So my brother came home from school and basically told me I was being a p**** about it and showed me how to use the air tools like you're supposed to. I have this inate fear of doing more harm than good when trying to remove bolts (I've stripped my share of bolts). He loosened up the front motor mount bolts for me, and then we got cracking on the transmission mount. Got that one in and out in probably 1.5-2hrs because the bolts were being really stubborn and we had to move some stuff out of the way. Going to do the other one tomorrow, and the PS lines if the low pressure line came in. I'll post pictures of the shot mounts, you've all probably seen what they look like, but I havent and want to share just how bad they are, so wait with great anticipation for the pictures
Insidently, there's a rubber hose that is mounted behind one of the cooling fans that come straight back from behind the fan where there's a funnel type intake and bends to the passenger side, aimed right at what I believe is the master cylinder(?) right infront/above the downpipe, what is that for?
Greg
Insidently, there's a rubber hose that is mounted behind one of the cooling fans that come straight back from behind the fan where there's a funnel type intake and bends to the passenger side, aimed right at what I believe is the master cylinder(?) right infront/above the downpipe, what is that for?
Greg
#9
done done and done
Got the front engine mount out this afternoon and its quite funny and scary to see, I'll take pictures tomorrow. Wasnt hard to remove and get back in except for an issue removing the bottom of the 2 mount bolts b/c of the mount having gone bad. Rear one looked fine, so I'm gonna return that mount.
Power steering lines:
Final verdicts are as follows:
Easiest to remove: High pressure line.
Easiest to install: Low pressure line.
Biggest pain in the *** EVER: High pressure line
The low pressure line was already bent and molded to exactly how it needed to be. The high pressure line is like this o========o and needs to be bent something like an upside-down U, with both ends twisted in opposite directions. You can get one end on just fine, but then the other side is an exercise in determination and the ability to work through hand cramps and pain possibly caused by the flex-piece of the exhaust scraping the hair and maybe skin off your arm. Fun times.
Only part you have to remove to get at the high pressure line is the flex-piece of the exhaust. For the low pressure line, I unbolted the windshield wiper motor to get more space to manuever the power steering resevoir once I got it unbolted (for easier access to the low pressure line's end that connects there, the screw-clamp is a pain to get at if you dont pull it out). And, conveniently enough, the low pressure line came with its own screw-clamps so I didnt have to worry about the ones already in there falling apart.
There were a couple of times where my hands and arms were covered in sludge (road debris mixed with leaking ps fluid and other fun stuff) and power steering fluid while trying to get the high pressure line back in, but I wont bore you with pictures of my arms. They are, however, stained black in more than a couple places for the next week or so probably. My skin hurts from scrubbing them with Go-Jo in the garage, and then using a hand brush in the bathroom with dial or whatever is in there. Also took a high pressure line bolt to the forehead. But at least I got all the state inspection related repairs done myself. Yay.
On a side note, does anyone know the part number for the gasket thats between the flexi-piece of the exhaust and the downpipe?? I was given a new metal one by the parts guy at Harrisonburg Nissan who said it was the new part for that discontinued one, but it, like 99% of the other ones I've bought, are too big for the bolt holes by like 2-3mm. The part number for the one I currently have (which cost me $11 and change and is going back next week) is 20692-1E810. Anyone have a gasket they can mail me? my exhaust makes a 'blablblblblblblblblblblbl" noise when I put in the clutch to shift from first to second in high RPMs, sounds WAY too ricey and thats not how I want my car to sound. Thanks.
Greg
Power steering lines:
Final verdicts are as follows:
Easiest to remove: High pressure line.
Easiest to install: Low pressure line.
Biggest pain in the *** EVER: High pressure line
The low pressure line was already bent and molded to exactly how it needed to be. The high pressure line is like this o========o and needs to be bent something like an upside-down U, with both ends twisted in opposite directions. You can get one end on just fine, but then the other side is an exercise in determination and the ability to work through hand cramps and pain possibly caused by the flex-piece of the exhaust scraping the hair and maybe skin off your arm. Fun times.
Only part you have to remove to get at the high pressure line is the flex-piece of the exhaust. For the low pressure line, I unbolted the windshield wiper motor to get more space to manuever the power steering resevoir once I got it unbolted (for easier access to the low pressure line's end that connects there, the screw-clamp is a pain to get at if you dont pull it out). And, conveniently enough, the low pressure line came with its own screw-clamps so I didnt have to worry about the ones already in there falling apart.
There were a couple of times where my hands and arms were covered in sludge (road debris mixed with leaking ps fluid and other fun stuff) and power steering fluid while trying to get the high pressure line back in, but I wont bore you with pictures of my arms. They are, however, stained black in more than a couple places for the next week or so probably. My skin hurts from scrubbing them with Go-Jo in the garage, and then using a hand brush in the bathroom with dial or whatever is in there. Also took a high pressure line bolt to the forehead. But at least I got all the state inspection related repairs done myself. Yay.
On a side note, does anyone know the part number for the gasket thats between the flexi-piece of the exhaust and the downpipe?? I was given a new metal one by the parts guy at Harrisonburg Nissan who said it was the new part for that discontinued one, but it, like 99% of the other ones I've bought, are too big for the bolt holes by like 2-3mm. The part number for the one I currently have (which cost me $11 and change and is going back next week) is 20692-1E810. Anyone have a gasket they can mail me? my exhaust makes a 'blablblblblblblblblblblbl" noise when I put in the clutch to shift from first to second in high RPMs, sounds WAY too ricey and thats not how I want my car to sound. Thanks.
Greg
#10
Congrats...as for my line repairs, they would have gone differently, as I had my rack, resivior, pump, hard lines, and all hose pulled from the car...so it was easier to put it all back in from that stand point. As for your low-pressure hose, I'm still not sure which one you're referring to, as there are a number of low-pressure hoses feeding all over the rack itself, to that short little thing that connects the return line hard pipe to the res.
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Unclejunebug
5th Generation Maxima (2000-2003)
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04-02-2016 05:42 AM